Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson was smiling like the Cheshire Cat as he strode forward to shake my hand. He had just received the EPA-certified range rating for the new 2025 Lucid Gravity SUV, and it was better than the “over 440 miles” that the company had previously announced. “It came in at 450 miles,” Rawlinson enthused, which puts it at the top among longest-range electric SUVs. He then explained how Lucid achieved this with just a 120.0-kWh battery pack, a relatively small size that has many knock-on effects, from the physical dimensions of the thing, to handling and performance, to a charging time of under 15 minutes for 200 miles.
We saw the Gravity almost a year ago, but that was a static viewing that came before the dynamics had been worked out and locked in. Suffice it to say, we didn’t get to drive or ride in it at that time. Now the chassis tuning, vehicle dynamics, and, indeed, the overall vehicle have received final approval just a few days before our drive. Everything is as it will appear on the final product, save for the graining on one or two plastic panels and the steering-wheel airbag, which was labeled “inert.” Production officially began on December 5 at the company’s assembly plant in Casa Grande, Arizona, and we were here to drive the signed-off prototype on a course around Lucid’s headquarters in Newark, California.
Lucid
The Lucid Gravity Grand Touring will be the first out of the gate, with a largely carryover dual-motor powertrain that delivers 828 horsepower and 909 lb-ft of torque. Lucid says it’ll do zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and the most efficient configuration achieves 450 miles of EPA-certified range (if driven more sanely). The platform is technically different from the Air’s because the rear suspension has been changed from the sedan’s integral-link design to a pure multilink layout. This was done because the Gravity offers optional rear-axle steering, which isn’t compatible with integral link. Lucid has also given the Gravity air springs (something the Air sedan lacks) to enable five different height modes.
Bilstein adaptive dampers are paired with single-chamber air springs in the base Grand Touring, but if you go for the Dynamic Handling package, they’re upgraded to a three-chamber design that can vary the spring rate along with the height. The same Bilstein adaptive dampers are used, but they’re retuned to work with the variable-rate springs. You also get rear-wheel steering with this package, and that brings the turning circle down to a tidy 38.4 feet. The rear-steer also goes same-phase at higher speeds to increase stability. The package also includes 265/40R-22 front and 285/35R-23 rear Pirelli P Zero PZ4 Elect summer tires, which will likely cause it to have a lower range figure. That’s up from the standard 21/22-inch and 19/20-inch fitments spread among the Touring and Grand Touring.
Lucid
Underway, the first thing you notice is the luscious smoothness with which the Gravity traverses coarse and broken pavement. In Smooth mode, it glides over the surface as if it’s riding on air, yet the there’s no excess buoyancy over bridge joints that usually get you queasy. The braking is largely regenerative and responds to lifting of the right pedal at this point, but you can toggle the braking setting to standard or, if you prefer, turn lift-off regen totally off, a feature that’s not available in the Air sedan. Up the pace in Swift mode and things tighten up a bit, but it still feels smooth among the sportiness. Honk into a cloverleaf, and the Gravity responds, arcing into the apex with oodles of grip, little body roll, and a healthy dose of feedback. It is, in two words, supremely coordinated. We didn’t get to strap on any timing equipment, but we were invited to lay into it off the line. Verdict: We absolutely believe the 3.4-second claim, and it might do better.
The helm itself is interesting, consisting of a “squircle”-shaped wheel with a slightly flattened upper rim. Just above and behind is a touch-sensitive 34-inch curved display that is only very partially blocked by the steering wheel, but in an intentional way that gives the cockpit a layered, interesting look. To the right is a landscape-oriented touch-sensitive center stack that sits below the rightmost extent of the main display. Each spoke of the wheel at 9 and 3 o’clock has a five-way button array underscored by two additional buttons, and the central screen has Lucid’s volume roller flanked by HVAC controls and one other wild-card button per side. It’s all meant to be intuitive and easy, with more than one way to do most operations. Time will tell, because the software in the prototypes wasn’t to production standards, but it looks promising.
Lucid Motors
When you’re driving, the impression is one of extremely broad visibility. No Air-like gymnastics are required to enter, and the view out is immense. Even though the big curved display sits higher above the wheel, it doesn’t block the forward view. The outside mirrors stand proud of the doors, and small peekaboo window opens up the space ahead of the door shutline. Our only gripe is the view out of the back, which is slightly pinched. The windshield extends up and beyond the sun visors to become a seamless sunroof, yet the feeling is far more normal than in the Tesla Model X. Headroom is immense for this six-foot-two driver, and there’s plenty of legroom.
Farther back, the headroom continues to be abundant in the two- or three-row configurations, even for the same six-foot-two person as a passenger. That’s in part because a second glass panel defines the roof from the B-pillar on back to the liftgate. Legroom is plentiful too, such that there is zero penalty sitting in the third row, save for the slightly raised voice it takes to be heard from the wayback. This is possible because the same low Lucid battery pack from the sedan is used, but the double stack of batteries under the sedan’s rear seat has been moved forward to sit under the Gravity’s first row. In fact, the Gravity stands lower than the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, the Rivian R1S, and even the Porsche Cayenne, but every seat is far roomier than any of them. It also far exceeds the storage capacity of the three with a real fold-flat floor that has a commendably low lift-over height. With the third row in use, there’s a healthy above- and belowdecks storage hold, not unlike a minivan’s.
Lucid Motors
Production of the 2025 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring began just days ago, with deliveries to start in the first half of next year. Pricing will start at $96,500 for the 450-mile-range Grand Touring five-seater, and the Touring will start at $81,550 when it debuts in the second half of 2025. The familiar Mojave and Tahoe interior themes will be available, alongside the new Yosemite and Ojai choices. More detailed specs will be released soon, but all we know is that as compelling as the 10Best-winning Lucid Air sedan is, the Lucid Gravity looks set to pick up where it leaves off, and then some.
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